Martin tan buren howe



@with faire @anni @ffice MARTI-N vAN' RUREN MoWE, 0E GARDNER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSreNoR T6 EIMSELE AND LEVI HEYWooD, 0E SAME PLAGE.

Letters .Patent No'. 73,720, dated January 2 8, 1868,

IMPROVEMENT VIll WOOD-BENDING MACHINES.

To ALL WnoM 1T MAY ooNoERN:

Be it'known that I, MARTIN VAN BUREN HOWE, of Gardner, in theV county of Worcester, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvement in Chains for Bending Wood, Ytc., of which the following is a. full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part ofthis specification, in whichl Figure 1 is -a perspective view of my improved chain, the pieces at one of its ends being removed to show, the manner of' connecting .the links together.-

Figure 2 is a central vertical section through the same, with the end-pieces in place.

Figures 3, 4, and 5, details, to be referred to. Y

My invention relates to certain improvements in chains for bending heavy timber for various purposes, such as shipbuilding, dto., and consists in an improved method of' connecting the links-or sections-of the chain in such manner as to insure great strength, and thereby prevent the liability of breakinlT incident to chains of this class as heretofore constructed.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and usel my invention, I will proceed to ldescribe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawings, A A represent thelinks of a chain for bending heavy timber usedl in the construetion of ships, buildings, bridges, dto. These links are of metal, and are made of considerable size and thickness, to insure great strength, and are of the form shown in g, 1, in. order that three sides of the timber to be bent may be surrounded, whereby not only the fibres of' itsV outer surface are prevented from elongatng, but its sidesare confined so as to avoid anv liability of bulging at the points where the greatest bend occurs. v Each end of every link is cut or recessed out for the reception of the ends of'connecting or coupling-links, or pieces, a, figs. 1 and 3, every two contiguous links, A, being united at each end by two `coupling-links, a, which are loosely fitted in place, with a space, 6, intervening between them, the upper link, a, lapping over the curved portions of the links a, on each side of it, by which construction, when the chain is bent, the links A are free to move in a horizontal plane up'on the link a, connecting,them in a manner similar to a vball-and-socket joint, and the inner surface of the chain assumes the degree of curvature intended to be given to the outer surface ofthe timber. Two circular plates, c, iig. 4, are placed in each recessed end of the links forming the extremities ofl the chai`nto iill up the space between the curved portion-s of the alternate connecting-links a at this point, while all of the links a are prevented from springing out of place by solid .pieces of'metnl, B, screwed to the links A, (see iig. 5,) the sides 6 ofthe pieces B fitting snu'ly over the ends of the links A, and ali'ording additional strength. The sides 7 to 8 of each link A, are chamfered or bevelled o' :Lt-such angles as to allow the curvature desired, thus preventing the outer fibres from breaking.

'I do not claim broadly a machine with flexible joints for bending wood, but

' What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The coupling-links a, or their equivalents, for connecting the ends of the links A of a chain for bending timber, constructed to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth. I

MARTIN V. B. HowE.

Witnesses FRANoIs RICHARDSON, MARTHA W. HEYwoQD. 

